Electrical switching device



y 1949- w. J. D. HARRISON 2,471,568

ELECTRICAL SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 8, 1946 Patented May 31, 1949 ELECTRICAL SWITCHING DEVICE William James Daflt'eren Harrison, Coventry, England, assignor to The General Electric Company Limited, London, England Application February 8, 1946, Serial No. 646,385 In Great Britain January 16, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 19% Patent expires January 16, 1965 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical switching devices.

It is one object of the invention to provide a simple mechanism whereby the actuation (opening or closing) of switch contacts is achieved by movement of an actuating member in one direction followed by movement of that member in the opposite direction but not by movement of the member in one direction only. It is a further object to provide means whereby the actuation of the switch contacts upon movement of the actuating member in one direction followed by movement thereof in the opposite direction is dependent upon the condition of one or more Selector members and whereby the contacts when actuated are released upon movement of said one or more selector members.

According to this invention a switch device comprises an actuating member mounted for movement from an idle position towards an operating position, a second member mounted for movement between a normal and an actuating position relatively to the first member, a mechanism to interconnect the two members for joint movement upon actuation of the first member when the members are in their normal relative position, a finger bearing upon surfaces in the two members and adapted when held in a first position to prevent actuation of electrical contacts and in a second position to cause or allow actuation of said contacts, said surfaces being so shaped that when said members are in their normal relative position the finger is held in the first position throughout the movement of the actuating member and when the said members are in their actuated relative position a depression is formed whereby said finger can move into its second position, and a detent device to detain the second member after it is moved with the first member, upon movement of said first member from idle to operating position, whereby upon return of said first member to idle position said members will be in their actuating relative position. Additional spring means are preferably provided to urge said second member toward its normal position relative to said actuating member. Said detent device may be arranged to be made operative or inoperative according to the setting of a selector member.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a switch device according to this invention in the normal or unactuated condi- Fig. 2 shows the switch after depression of the actuating member,

Fig. 3 shows the switch after release of the actuating member,

Fig. 4 shows the device of Figs. 1 to 3 in perspective in association with means for moving the detent device between an operative and an inoperative position, and

Fig. 5 shows a rotary switch according to this invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a push button I is mounted for limited sliding movement to left and right and carries an actuating member 2 having a first cam surface 3 and a second cam surface 3. A compression spring It is provided to urge the member 2 towards the left in the drawings. The member 2 carries two pins d located in slots 5 in a member 6. The slots permit limited sliding movement of the member 6 upon the member 2 and a tension spring I5 is provided tending to maintain these members in the position of Figs. 1 and 2. The spring l5 may alternatively be between the two members 2 and 6 instead of as shown between the member 6 and the front panel l6 which is fixed to the frame I.

The member 5 also has a cam surface 8. A spring blade finger 9 controlling the actuation of contacts It is spring-biased by its inherent resilience to bear on the cam surfaces on members 2 and 6. A detent spring H fixed to the frame I has a catch member l2 pressed upwards against the under surface of the member 5 by the action of the spring II in Fig. 1.

When the push button I is pressed to the right from the position of Fig. 1, the members 2 and 6 move together, without changing their relative positions, to the position shown in Fig. 2. The catch member l2 engages the left hand surface of the member 6 thus retaining this member in the right hand position when the push button is released and returns to its original position. The final position of the parts is shown in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that when the push button is depressed first, the cam surface 8 and later the cam surface 3 serve to maintain the spring blade 9 in its upper position so that the contacts it remain unactuated (open). This is true so long as the members 2 and 6 maintain the relative relationship shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When however, the members are forced apart by the action of the catch member l2 and the member 2 is being returned to its first position, a depression is formed into which the spring blade 9 is allowed to drop by riding down the 3 cam surface 3' and the contacts are actuated (closed).

The switch can be restored from the position of Fig. 3to that of Fig. 1 by depression of a selector finger 13 thereby allowing the member 6 to assume its intical position relative to member 2 as shown in Fig. 1.

For certain purposes it is required that movement of some other element, such for example as another switch control, should cause the switch contacts 10 to open. A further requirement may be that the actuation of the contacts 10 on depression and release of the push button I should be dependent upon the settingofanotherelement. Both these requirements can be met with the device illustrated. 7

Thus for example, it will be assumed that it is required that the contacts l should be actuated when a rotatable spindle is in one predetermined position but not in another position. The spindle nayserve toactuate another switch or the'setting of some other component. Referring to Fig. 4a spindle" H" is shownprovided with a cam surface It in the form of undulations 'or'teeth which on rotation of the spindle raises and lowers a pawl l9 connected to the selector finger l3 at settings at which actuation is desired and not desired respectively.

The pawl l9'i's held by a spring 28 in engagement with the cam surface I8. If the switch is in the position of Fig. 3 and the spindle ll is rotated, the finger l3 will be depressed and the contacts [0 opened. Further, the push button l, when depressed and released, will be capable of actuating the contacts it only in those positions of the spindle l! in which the finger I3 is in its upper position.

It will be evident that the release of the switch can be under the control of more than one other element. Thus there may be two or more spin- (lies with toothed wheels and pawls each controlling the position of a selector finger such as l3. A second suchfing'er is for example indicated in Fig. 4 at 2!. When any of these spindlesare rotated the contacts ill will be opened and the ability to actuate the contacts 50 by depression and release of the push button I will depend upon all the toothed wheels being in suitable positions so that their corresponding selector fingers are all in the upper positions.

Where for reasons of convenience it is desired to provide for rotary ratherthan linear movement of the operating knob,'the"device may be constructed as shown in Fig. 5, in which parts functioning in like manner to those in the earlier figures are given the same references.

I In Fig, 5 a cam-shaped disc 2 is rigidly attached to a spindle I and is held against a suitable stop 22 by means of tension spring l4 operating to turn the disc 2 in the direction of the arrow A. A second disc 6 is arranged to rotate freely around the spindle l, a pin 4 attached t the disc 2 operating in a kidney-shaped slot 5 in the disc 6. This disc is also urged in the direction of the arrow A by means of a suitable tension'spring [5 thus allowing for relative rotary movement of the two cam surfaces 3 and '8 either by release of the 'detent l l or by operation of the spindle l in the direction of arrow B.

This arrangement will therefore'meet all the operating conditions specified for the device of Figs. 1 to 3 operating with linear movement. 7

The invention is not limited to the embodimnts described which have been referred to only by wayof example. Manyc hanges "can be 4 made in the construction and arrangement of the switch components within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A switch device comprising an actuating member mounted for movement from a first to a second position, a second member mounted for movement between a first and a second position relative to said first member, means to bias said second member toward its first position relative to said first member, means to interconnect said members for joint movement upon actuation of said first member when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, means to detain said second member after the same is moved with said first member upon movementof said-first member from its first to its second position, whereby upon return of said first member to its first position, said second member will remain in its second position relative to said first member, a contact-actuating finger having an actuated and an unactuated setting, each of said members having a cam surface adapted to be engaged by said finger, said finger remaining in one of its set-tings while engagingeither of said cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being juxtaposed when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, said finger engaging the cam surface of the second member when said'first member is in its first position and said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, and said finger engaging the cam surface of the first member when said first member is in its second position whereby the setting of the finger is unaltered as the first member moves from its first to its second position and said finger shifts from the cam surface of the second member to the cam surface of the first member, said cam surfaces being spaced apart when said second member is in its second position relative to said first member and said'first member is in its first position whereby said finger will move between the cam surfaces and thus into the other of its settings when said first'member returns from its second to its first position.

'2. A switch device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the contact actuating finger is spring-biased to be urged into the position it takes when the cam surfaces are moved apart.

3. A switch device as set-forth in claim2 wherein means is providedto bias the first member toward its first position.

4. A switch device comprising a frame, an actuating member mounted for translational movement relatively to said frame from a first to a second position, a second member mounted for translational movement between a first and a second position relative to 'saidfirst member, means to bias said second member toward its first position relative to said first member, means to interconnect said members for joint movement upon actuation of said first member when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, means to detain said second member after the same is moved with saidfirst member upon movement of said first member from its first to its second position, whereby upon return of said first member to its first position, said second member will remain" in its second position relative to said first member, a icontactactuating finger having an actuated and an-unactuated setting, each of said members havinga cam surface adapted to be engaged by said finger, said finger remaining in one of its settings while engaging either of said cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being juxtaposed when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, said finger engaging the cam surface of the second member when said first member is in its first position and said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, and said finger engaging the cam surface of the first member when said first member is in its second position, whereby the setting of the finger is unaltered as the first member moves from its first to its second position and said finger shifts from the cam surface of the second member to the cam surface of the first member, said cam surfaces being spaced apart when said second member is in its second position relative to said first member and said first member is in its first position whereby said finger will move between the cam surfaces and thus into the other of its settings when said first member returns from its second to its first position.

5. A switch device comprising a frame, an actuating member mounted for rotary movement relatively to said frame from a first to a second position, a second member mounted for rotary movement between a first and a second position relative to said first member, means to bias said second member toward its first position relative to said first member, means to interconnect said members for joint movement upon actuation of said first member when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, means to detain said second member after the same is moved with said first member upon movement of said first member from its first to its second position relative to said first member, whereby upon return of said first member to its first position, said second member will remain in its second position relative to said first member, a contact-actuating finger having an actuated and unactuated setting, each of said members having a cam surface adapted to be engaged by said finger, said finger remaining in one of its settings while engaging either of said cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being juxtaposed when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, said finger engaging the cam surface of the second member when said first member is in its first position and said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, and said finger engaging the cam surface of the first member when said first member is in its second position, whereby the setting of the finger is unaltered as the first member moves from its first to its second position and said finger shifts from the cam surface of the second member to the cam surface of the first member, said cam surfaces being spaced apart when said second member is in its second position relative to said first member and said first member is in its first position whereby said finger will move between the cam surfaces and thus into the other of its settings when said first member returns from its second to its first position.

6. A switch device according to claim 5, wherein said rotary movements of said actuating member and said second member are about a common axis.

7. A switch device comprising an actuating member mounted for movement from a first to a second position, a second member mounted for movement between a first and a second position relative to said first member, means to bias said second member toward its first position relative to said first member to one another, means to interconnect said members for joint movement upon actuation of said first member when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, means to detain said second member after the same is moved with said first member upon movement of said first member from its first to its second position, whereby upon return of said first member to its first position, said second member will remain in its second position relative to said first member, tripping means movable between a first position in which it is inoperative and a second position in which it engages said detaining means to render said detaining means inoperative, a contact-actuating finger having an actuated and an unactuated setting, each of said members having a cam surface adapted to be engaged by said finger, said finger remaining in one of its settings while engaging either of said cam surfaces, said cam surface being juxatposed when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, said finger engaging the cam surface of the second member when said first member is in its first position and said second member is in its first position, relative to said first member, and said finger engaging the cam surface of the first member when said first member is in its second position, whereby the setting of the finger is unaltered as the first member moves from its first to its second position and said finger shifts from the cam surface of the second member to the cam surface of the first member, said cam surfaces being spaced apart when said second member is in its second position relative to said first member and said first member is in its first position whereby said finger will move between the cam surfaces and thus into the other of its settings when said first member returns from its second to its first position.

8. A switch device according to claim '7, comprising a rotatable spindle and a cam surface upon said spindle for rotation therewith engaging said tripping means to impart thereto motion between said first and. second positions when said spindle is rotated.

9. A switch device comprising an actuating member mounted for movement from a first to a second position, a second member mounted for movement between a first and a second position relative to said first member, means to bias said second member toward its first position relative to said first member, means to interconnect said members for joint movement upon actuation of said first member when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, means to detain said second member after the same is moved with said first member upon movement of said first member from its first to its second position, whereby upon return of said first member to its first position, said second member will remain in its second position relative to said first member, a contact-actuating finger having an actuated and an unactuated setting, each of said members having a cam surface adapted to be engaged by said finger, said finger remaining in one of its settings while engaging either of said cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being juxtaposed when said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, said finger engaging the cam surface of the second member when said first member is in its first position and said second member is in its first position relative to said first member, and said finger engaging the cam surface of the first viiiem-berwhen :said firstbmember is in its .second position, whereby-the setting of the finger is unaltered asthe first-member moves from its firstto its second position and said finger shifts 'fnom-itheicamsurfaceof the second member to the cam surface of the first member, said cam surfaces beingspaced apart when saidwsecond =memberis in vvits second position irelativeto said firsbmember and said firstmember is in itsfirst :position, atleastone of said members having va-secondcam surface-controlling the position of :saidifingerwhen said-first mentioned camsur- :faces are spaced apart, whereby saidtfinger will UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 2085 949 'vBrandet a1. Jul-37.6, 1937 2,398,007 Hunter Apr/9, 1946 

